Draft-gear yoke and method of making same



6 1,636,690 July 1927' A. a. HAWKES ET AL DRAFT GEAR YOKE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 11, 1922 mmmhz' 12 9'3 as 10 v 7) I 11% I Patented July 26, 1927.

omen STATES 1,636,690 PATENT o-F IcE.

ARTHUR G. HAWKES AND ELLIS W. TEST, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PULLMAN COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR YOKE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed February 11, 1922. Serial No. 535,794.

The invention relates to forged steel draft gear yokes and the method of making the same and has for its object the manufacture of an improved yoke from a single piece of plate stock of uniform thickness.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved draft gear yoke with dotted lines indicating the form and location of a welded joint;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the yoke also having dotted lines to indicate the form and location of the welded joint, and

Fig. 8 shows the blank from which the improved yoke may be produced with dotted lines indicating the places where certam folds are to be made in forming the blank.

Since the invention contemplates the manufacture of the entire yoke Figs. 1 and 2) from plate stock, the several parts of the finished yoke, as the side walls 10 and 11 of the yoke head 12 and the top and bottom straps 13, 14 and the end 15 of the loop 16, will preferably be of nearly uniform thickness and plate stock of approximately this thickness will be selected for the blank (Fig. 3). As shown, the said blank includes an intermediate strap portion 17 with relatively wide and narrow heads, 18, 19, at its opposite ends. YVhile only a single blank is required for the production of the yoke it will be understood that in the commercial manufacture of the yoke economy in the use of the stock will suggest the cutting of a plurality of blanks from the same piece of stock.

In carrying out the invention, the said blank (Fig. 3) is out with its strap portion 17 of suflicient length to comprise the entire loop 16 of the yoke while the end portions of the blank comprise the four walls of the yoke head 12. To this end the wider head portion 18 of the blank includes a pair of oppositely directed lateral wings 20 and 21 designed to form the two side walls 10, 11, of the yoke head while the intermediate portion 22 of the head portion 18 of the blank and its other head portion 19 serve for the bottom and top walls 23 and 24 respectively of the yoke head. It follows that either during the cutting of the blank or immediately thereafter, the two wings 20 and 21 of the blank head 18 are punched with slotted openings designed to provide the key slots, as 25, in the side walls 10, 11, of the yoke head.

In producing the yoke from the said blank, the two wings 20, 21, are first folded upwardly upon the inclined lines indicated by the dotted lines 26 and 27 (Fig. 3). The

inclined lines of folding 26 and 27 and the J? consequent tapering form of the interme diate portion 22 of the blank head 18 together with the corresponding tapering form of the blank head 19 serve to impart the desired flaring form to the yoke head 12 (Fig.2).

After folding the two wings 20, 21, of theblank, as stated, the strap portion17 is bent upon itself to produce the loop 16 of the yoke and to bring the smaller head 19 of the blank into position upon the upper edges of the wings 20, 21, to serve as the top plate or cover 2 1 of the yoke head. If now the upper edges of the wings 20, 21, and the side edges of the'part 19 have been formed with complementary tongues 28 and grooves 29, these parts may be interlocked and welded together. A complete draft gear yoke comprising the usual boX-like or chambered head 12 for receiving the coupler butt and the customary loop 16 for extending about the cushioning elements of the draft gear is accordingly produced from a single piece of plate stock.

We claim as our invention 1. The method of making a draft gear yoke having a yoke head, top and bottom straps and an end loop from a single piece of stock which consists in stamping out a blank consisting of an intermediate strap portion with relatively wide and narrow heads, having complementary tongues and grooves in their outer edges, the wider head having oppositely directed lateral wings, punching slotted openings in said wings to provide key slots, folding over said wings to form the side walls of the yoke head, bending the intermediate strap portion upon itself to produce the loop of the yoke, to bring the smaller head of the blank into position upon the outer edges of the wings and to interlock said complementary tongues and grooves and welding the two ends of the strap together.

2. The method of making a forged steel draft gear yoke which consists in stamping out a single blank in the form of an intermediate strap having relatively wide and narrow heads, the wider head having oppositely directed lateral wings, the two heads having complementary tongues andgrooves out in their upper and lower edges, folding upward the said lateral wings to form the side walls of the yoke head, bendingthe intermediate strap portion upon itself to produce the loop of the yoke, and to bring the smaller head of the blankinto position upon the outer edges of the wings and to assemble the complementary tongues and grooves, and welding the assembled parts together.

3. A blank designed to form a forged steel draft gear yoke including an intermediate strap portion of suflicient length to comprise the entire loop of the yoke, and relatively 7 wide and narrow head-s at'its opposite ends designed for forming the four walls ofthe yoke head, said wider head including a pair of oppositely d1rected lateral swings, de-

signed for forming the bottom and the two side walls, and said smaller head designed to form the top wall of the finished yoke head, the edges of said heads being provided with complementary tongues 'and grooves dlesilgned to'be Weldedtoget h'erwhen assemb ec. v

4. A draft gear yoke comprising a pair of forged steel side plates and a forged steel strap integral therewith, eomplementary tongues and grooves being formed in the upper edges of the side plates and in the side edges of the strap at its end opposite said side plates, the tongued and grooved parts being assembled and welded together.

ARTHUR G. HAVVKES. ELLIS W. TEST. 

